Oregon's 2004 Pinot noirs Revisited

A 2007 Perspective &
What the Wine Press SaidWine Spectator and Parker Scores

by
Jean Yates
February 2007

Re-evaluate 2004 in 2007?
Why?

While snapshots of a
vintage when it's first produced provide valuable
insights about quality and style, it's only
in the longer term that a wine vintage can
be deeply understood and evaluated.

In January of 2005, Oregon's Pinot noirs were already being rated.
Wine Spectator gave the vintage a "B+". Our
website extolled the balance and quality of
the wines, tasted from the barrels where they
were still evolving. The vintage was touted
as a more balanced, yet still rich vintage,
a relief after the overly hot summer of 2003
produced many high alcohol, unbalanced wines.

By June of 2006, Robert
Parker's Wine Advocate had rated the vintage
"90E"- "outstanding and early
maturing". Wines
from Ayoub, Bergstrom, and Shea were among
the many "early arrivers" released, and the
best of the 2004 vintage were grabbed up quickly,
their balance and complexity impressing wine
buyers and wine writers alike.

Now, in early 2007, with
most of the 2004's released and many long gone,
the combination of dozens of sets of 2004 Oregon
Pinot noir tasting notes and the longer perspective
of two additional vintages since 2004 warrant
a re-evaluation of the vintage.

2004 in A Nutshell

2004 in a nutshell: 2004
is the first of a series of three (so far)
vintages where the best Oregon Pinot noirs
are characterized by rich flavors, balanced
tannins and a remarkably lovely uplifting,
refreshing acidity. The warm summers that started
in 1998 have continued, but the heat wave of
2003 has not recurred, and
vineyard managers, at the best sites, have
learned to manage canopy, water, and trellising
to minimize heat stress. In addition, and most
importantly, the cold nights of fall in Oregon
have added balanced acidity and brightness
to the wines, a most attractive quality, and
one that makes the wines excellent with food.

2004 was the beginning
of a trend... that is now clear. Just after
the 2004 harvest, the vintage was considered
by itself. Now, with the additional insights
gained by two additional vintages, and the
trends in weather patterns continuing towards
warm summers and longer growing seasons, 2004
is clearly the beginning of a run of vintages
with similar qualities.

Each of the vintages
since 2003 has similar circumstances leading
to common traits. The
heat of a warmer summer than pre-1998 produces
plenty of sweet, intense fruit flavors. Oregon's
coastal range's traditional cold falls have
continued, and the cold evenings
promote acidity, which balances the intense
fruit and adds a highly pleasant and distinct
finish to the wines that is uplifting and refreshing.
This lovely balance of rich sweet fruit with
uplifting acidity characterizes well made Oregon
Pinot noirs made in 2004, 2005, and 2006.

Avalon's
Top 2004 Oregon Pinot noirs

What were
Avalon's choices for the top wines? Given that
we do not have access to all of the wines made
in Oregon, and we have closer relationships
with some wineries, this is a list of the Pinot
noirs we discovered, enjoyed, and sold, NOT
a list of the top wines developed from a comprehensive
tasting of every last 2004 Pinot made in the
state. In other words, there are other, very
good Pinots out there, we just don't have access
to them.

Reviews of the 2004 vintage
came quickly after harvest. Wine Spectator
declared Oregon's 2004 vintage a "B+" and
Washington's a "B", in January, 2005,
and said: "It
was a year of extremes for Oregon growers.
Late winter and early spring were exceptionally
cool and dry, which kept the crop size down,
then heat waves arrived in July and August.
In Willamette Valley, grape sugar levels were
peaking in late summer and harvest looked imminent,
but then it was postponed by cool, wet weather
that arrived in late August and again in mid-September.
About three inches of rain fell overall, although
southern Oregon received less. Harvest proceeded
in fits and starts, and winemakers report that
grapes weathered the storms remarkably well."

Wine Spectator has reviewed
156 2004 Oregon Pinot noirs. Fifty of the 2004
wines received 91 or more points, compared
to 52 of the 208 wines of the 2003 vintage
that were reviewed.

Here are Wine Spectator's
top 50 Oregon Pinot noirs
as of December of
2006